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Polonnaruwa is one of those rare places where you can feel the spirit of Sri Lanka’s past within every moss-covered ruin.
Part of Sri Lanka’s famed Cultural Triangle, Polonnaruwa boasts ancient ruins and scenery that rival its neighbor (and immediate predecessor as the island’s capital city), Anuradhapura.
Unlike Anuradhapura (as well as nearby Sigiriya), Polonnaruwa’s ruins are in much better shape.
Anuradhapura was the Sinhalese capital for 1,300 years from the 3rd century BC to 993 AD, while Polonnaruwa served as the capital of the South Indian Chola and Sinhalese kingdoms for a much shorter period during the 11th-14th centuries. Polonnaruwa’s ruins haven’t had to withstand quite the test of time that Anuradhapura has.
Polonnaruwa also has more of a quiet, reflective feel to it than Anuradhapura, which comes alive with rituals and religious ceremonies on a daily basis.
The two cities are distinct enough to be worth separate visits. Read on to learn more about what to see in Polonnaruwa, and what to know before you go.
Polonnaruwa’s ruins are an absolute marvel.
They are huge in scale, mostly concentrated in a small area, generally well preserved, free to roam, and delightfully uncrowded.
It’s worth it to check out the archaeological museum in Polonnaruwa before exploring the ruins.
And not just because you buy your entrance tickets there ($25 USD).
The museum showcases artifacts that were found around the ancient ruins, but the coolest displays are the scale models of what the structures probably looked like when they were first built.
Unfortunately, photography isn’t allowed inside the museum, so you’ll have to make a mental comparison of the replicas against the ruins. Still, the replicas set great context for the scale of the buildings that are now reduced to rubble.
Biking is the best way to get around.
Especially when your co-pilot is a cute French guy named Vincent that you met on the bus. (Three cheers to solo travel and making friends along the way!)
My travel companion for the day.
We managed to cover the full site in about four hours, with ample time for exploring the ruins.
Renting bikes enabled us to get from one place to another quicker, which is critical in Sri Lanka’s oppressive midday heat. Just remember to park your bike in the shade or you’ll be in for a scalding surprise when you mount it again! Trust me, I found out the hard way.
Polonnaruwa’s ruins get more impressive the farther you go.
If you can make it to the end of the main stretch of the ancient city, you will be greeted by these large Buddha statues cut from a single giant slab of granite.
The sculptures at the Gal Vihara (stone temple) are grand in scale: The reclining Buddha is 46 feet long! They all have unique features that showcase the mastery of Sri Lankan sculptors.
It’s worth it to stop at every site. There is always something unexpected waiting to be discovered.
Most tourists gathered at the most famous sites like the Quadrangle and the Royal Palace, which left the rest of the ruins for us to explore in relative solitude.
We found this view of the Rankoth Vehera at one empty site.
Rankoth Vehera is the fourth-largest stupa in the country. The three largest are all in Anuradhapura.
And hung out with these monkeys.
These stairs mossy stairs were just as green in person. (#nofilter)
This man quietly tended to his work in the middle of nearly a century-old ruin.
Polonnaruwa is happily tourist-light.
The Cultural Triangle isn’t frequented by nearly as many tourists as Ella and surfing hotspots along the coast.
The tourists we encountered were largely European. Vincent and I giggled every time we passed by someone speaking French, because every other person we encountered spoke French.
The photo below shows the most people we encountered in one place the entire day.
And ovah he’re we have a herd of homo sapiens observing a lahge stone struc-tchah…
The city itself is nothing to write home about. Except for the tank.
Parakrama Samudra, Polonnaruwa’s reservoir, is a scenic area that is perfect for a sunset walk. Just watch out for the mosquitoes that descend at dusk.
Parakrama Samudra (Parakrama Reservoir) By Michael Gunther (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The mosquitoes are prolific…
…as I mentioned above. And they are especially bad at dawn and dusk. Polonnaruwa was where I got my first taste of Sri Lanka’s epic mosquito population, as I had escaped largely bite-free from Anuradhapura and Sigiriya. It became difficult to enjoy tea or a meal outside with all of the mosquitoes around, which was a real shame.
…and the drivers are…aggressive.
I should preface that this isn’t confined to Polonnaruwa, and “aggressive drivers” is a relative term. But I was genuinely scared for my life as I biked along the edge of the road with large speeding buses passing just feet from my right handlebar. (Still, it’s well worth it to bike.)
Despite my discomfort, it’s clear that Sri Lankan drivers are quite aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the road. But that doesn’t make it any less unnerving to have a vehicle ten times your size pass within mere inches of you. One false move and, well, you get it.
Be sure to visit Polonnaruwa, but there’s no need to spend more than a day there.
It’s possible to see the ruins in a matter of hours without rushing, and the reservoir is nice for a leisurely walk. Aside from that, you won’t find much else in Polonnaruwa. If you’re looking to see as many sights as possible on your trip, spend a day in Polonnaruwa and then move on to nearby sights such as Minneriya or Sigiriya. (Read this first if you plan go on a safari in Minneriya.)
Make sure to build in time to sit and enjoy the history and scenery surrounding you.
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I never even thought about visiting Sri Lanka but this post makes me want to. I love the way the moss covers almost all the monuments. So much history and culture there.
The moss was one of the coolest aspects of the ruins. And yes, learning about the history and culture was so cool and eye opening! It is a fascinating and beautiful country to visit.
It must be so hot out there. I was expecting to see more monkeys. The sculptures of buddha are massive! I like that you mentioned that there is no need to spend a day in Polonnaruwa. I would want to visit the other historical sites.
Iza c/o Kathy James (Walk About Wanderer)
Funny you mention the monkeys – they inhabited all of the ruins in Polonnaruwa, but they weren’t very intrusive. And yes, there is so much to see in Sri Lanka that you either need to spend a month or more there, or be very efficient with your time! Unfortunately I had to choose efficiency because my trip only lasted two weeks. 🙂
Well, uncrowded sites just happen to be my favorite kind of tourist attraction! I’m glad there are still some around to see. Sri Lanka wasn’t part of my travel list, particularly because I thought it was one of the most crowded tourist destinations out there. I guess I have to search for places like these to visit instead 🙂
Sri Lanka is definitely a popular tourist destination, but it’s nowhere near the levels of many other Asian countries. That’s not to say that every place is free of tourists, but Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is just becoming mainstream now that the war and the tsunami are well in the past. It’s not hard to find uncrowded beaches and sights – much of what I saw in the north was largely tourist free. Thanks for the comment!
Never heard about this Place, but Your post made me want to og. I love walking among old ruins, wondering what life was like there many years ago. I’ll put it on my bucket list now. Thanks for sharing!
I went to Polonnaruwa years ago, I still have the pictures but couldn’t remember the name of the place, it’s perfect I came across this post. I wish I’d rented a bike when I visited too, I remember walking around and how hot it was! You took some beautiful images of Polonnaruwa!
Sri Lanka is attracting me a lot these days. It is so close to my country India. I am thinking of going there in January 2017 with my parents. I just checked the ticket prices yesterday and its cheap. I am saving your blog for planning when it finally happens.
So glad you found this helpful! Sri Lanka is such an amazing country, I do hope you are able to go in January. That is a great time of year to visit, too. I’ll be publishing more about Sri Lanka so be sure to check back! 🙂
OMG! Polonnaruwa has been in my wishlist for long now! I really want to go there along with Sigiriya and Anuradhapura! Thanks for the tip that the farther we go, the more exotic the place is! Those huge Buddha statues are awesome!
So cool that Polonnaruwa is on your bucket list! It really is so worth it to go – the history and ruins are incredible. I hope you make it there soon!
These ruins are marvellous! So mesmerising. I loved your photos and am so temped to get on a plane and go here right now!
So tell me how do I get my own personal Vincent? 😉
Thanks for your comment, Jean! The ruins are really spectacular. As for your own personal Frenchman to explore with you… well, I think I just got lucky on that one! 😉
So I missed out on Polonnaruwa when I was in Sri Lanka, mainly because I spent one too many days trying (and failing) to spot a whale in Mirissa, and reading your post makes me so gutted I missed out! It was super high on my list too.
The ruins look amazing, and what a place to cycle around (especially with your companion… Is it totally disrespectful and degrading for me to use *heart eyes emoji* here?) although I guess you must have got super hot!
The only thing crazy than aggressive drivers in Sri Lanka are the more specific aggressive tuktuk drivers. I swear I almost died at least 10 times!
This place is breathtaking! I would love to visit it soon. I will remember your tips for sure!
Thank you! It is definitely worth a visit!
Thanks, Agness! It is such a beautiful place, I hope you have the opportunity to visit one day!